Chawton House is a grade ll* listed Elizabethan manor house that was formerly the home of Jane Austen’s brother, Edward Austen Knight.

After seven years of extensive restoration work, it reopened as Chawton House Library in 2003. The library’s main collection focuses on works written by women in English between 1600 and 1830, and includes pieces by Maria Edgeworth, Eliza Haywood and Mary Shelley. Members will enjoy a tour of the house and gardens, plus a look at some of the key items in the library’s collection. After a two-course lunch, Members will then visit the gardens at Upton Grey Manor House, which were originally designed by Gertrude Jekyll and have been lovingly restored to their former glory by the current owner, Rosamund Wallinger. Afternoon tea will follow.